Method for handling unrecognizable commands in a wireless environment

Abstract

The process of the present invention enables a wireless modem to accept from a computer commands that it does not recognize. The computer (210) sends a command to the wireless modem (260) to forward all commands to modems (270) at a base station (280). The base station modems (270) then interpret the commands and act accordingly. When the computer (210) no longer wishes the wireless modem (260) to ignore commands it does not recognize, the computer (210) sends another command to the modem (260) instructing it to either flag unknown commands as errors or to ignore them.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method for handling modem commands by a wireless modem in a portable communication device having a digital mode, the wireless modem coupled to a processor, the portable communication device operating in a digital cellular communication system including a base station having at least one modem, the wireless modem having a set of known modem commands wherein the at least one modem of the base station has a set of modem commands unknown to the wireless modem, the method comprising the steps of: the processor instructing the wireless modem to accept both the known modem commands generated by the processor and the modem commands unknown to the wireless modem generated by the processor;   the wireless modem forwarding, to the base station, the known modem commands and the modem commands unknown to the wireless modem; and   the processor instructing the wireless modem to stop accepting the modem commands unknown to the wireless modem.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of the processor setting a predefined register within the wireless modem to a first logical state, thereby causing the wireless modem to accept and store all the known modem commands generated by the processor and all the modem commands unknown to the wireless modem generated by the processor. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 2 further including the step of the processor setting the predefined register within the wireless modem to a second logical state different from the first logical state, thereby preventing the wireless modem from accepting the modem commands unknown to the wireless modem generated by the processor. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 1 further including the step of instructing the wireless modem to forward the known modem commands, and the modem commands unknown to the wireless modem, to the base station without interpreting the known modem commands and the modem commands unknown to the wireless modem. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 4 further including the step of inhibiting the wireless modem from generating an error signal upon receiving the modem commands unknown to the wireless modem. 
     
     
       6. A method for handling modem commands by a radiotelephone having a digital mode, the radiotelephone operating in a digital cellular radiotelephone system, the radiotelephone being coupled to a computer and communicating with a base station having at least one modem, the radiotelephone having a set of known modem commands and the at least one modem of the base station having a set of modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone, the method comprising the steps of: the computer instructing the radiotelephone to accept, from the computer, the known modem commands and the modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone generated by the computer;   the radiotelephone transmitting the known modem commands and the modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone to a first modem of the at least one modem of the base station; and   the first modem interpreting the commands.   
     
     
       7. The method of claim 6 and further including the step of the computer instructing the radiotelephone to stop forwarding unknown modem commands to the first modem of the base station. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 6 further including the step of instructing the radiotelephone to refrain from interpreting the known modem commands and the modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone received from the computer. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 8 further including the step of inhibiting the radiotelephone from generating an error signal upon receiving the modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone. 
     
     
       10. In a digital cellular radiotelephone system, a method for handling modem commands by a radiotelephone having a digital mode and a set of known modem commands, the radiotelephone being coupled to a computer and communicating with a base station having at least one modem and a set of modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone, the method comprising the steps of: the computer instructing the radiotelephone to accept and store all the known modem commands generated by the computer and all the modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone generated by the computer;   the radiotelephone saving all the known modem commands and all the modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone received from the computer; and   if the radiotelephone receives a delimiting character from the computer, the radiotelephone transmitting the saved known modem commands and the modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone to a first modem of the at least one modem of the base station wherein the saved commands are transmitted without being interpreted by the radiotelephone.   
     
     
       11. The method of claim 10 further including the step of the computer setting a predefined register within the radiotelephone to a first logical state, thereby causing the radiotelephone to accept and store all the known modem commands generated by the computer and all the modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone generated by the computer. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 11 further including the step of the computer setting the predefined register within the radiotelephone to a second logical state different from the first logical state, thereby preventing the radiotelephone from accepting the modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone generated by the computer. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 10 further including the step of inhibiting generation of an error signal within the radiotelephone in response to receipt of the modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone. 
     
     
       14. In a digital cellular radiotelephone system, a method for handling modem commands by a radiotelephone having a digital mode and a set of known modem commands, the radiotelephone being coupled to a computer and communicating with a base station having at least one modem and a set of modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone, the method comprising the steps of: the computer instructing the radiotelephone to accept and save all the known modem commands and all the modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone generated by the computer;   the radiotelephone saving all the known modem commands and all the modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone received from the computer into a character string;   the radiotelephone generating a call to the base station; and   if a call was generated to the base station, the radiotelephone transmitting the character string to the base station without interpreting the known modem commands and the modem commands unknown to the radiotelephone within the character string.   
     
     
       15. The method of claim 14 further including the step of inhibiting generation of an error signal within the radiotelephone in response to receipt of the character string. 
     
     
       16. A method for handling industry standard modem commands provided by a processor to a portable communication device having a digital mode directly connected to the processor, the portable communication device operating in a digital cellular communication system including a base station having at least one modem, the method comprising the steps of: instructing the portable communication device to accept a set of the industry standard modem commands generated by the processor, the set including certain ones of the industry standard modem commands not recognized by the portable communication device;   forwarding, to the base station from the portable communication device, the set of the industry standard modem commands; and   instructing the portable communication device not to accept from the processor those of the industry standard modem commands not recognized by the portable communication device.